Wholesaler group Bidfood has shut five depots and closed down two subsidiaries, with 500 staff members made redundant, according to The Grocer today.
The moves follows a three-month consultation process working alongside trade unions as the effects of the pandemic continued to push foodservice companies to the brink.
Bidfood has closed Oliver Kay sites in Bolton and Wednesbury, which supplied fresh produce and ingredients to pubs, hotels, restaurants and the catering industry. This subsidiary still operates from facilities in Bradford, Cannock and Hoddesdon and these are taking on the operations from the closed sites.
Other closures include Quality Cuisine in Newton Abbot, South Devon, a food manufacturer which had supplied bespoke, handmade, savoury products to the hospitality sector since 1999.
Also, Bidfood Catering Equipment has stopped trading, which has meant two site closures. The catering equipment offer has now been integrated into Bidfood's wholesale depots.
Brighton wholesaler, Elite Fine Foods, which Bidfood bought in July 2019, has also seen redundancies. The brand offers chilled and frozen foods and has an in-house butchery and seafood department.